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Austrian fashion designer Lena Hoschek, 33, is known for her nostalgic 1950's inspired dresses and an emphasis on classic cuts and flattering, hourglass silhouettes.

She launched her own label at the tender age of 24 in Graz, after having studied at Central Saint Martins in London, and working as an intern for Vivienne Westwood.

Three years later, she opened a studio and shop in Vienna, where she now lives.

With her fresh interpretation of retro looks, Hoschek has been a favourite on Fashion Week runways in recent years. American singer Katy Perry, burlesque performer Dita Von Teese and German model Franziska Knuppe have all worn her frocks.

Her latest show at Berlin fashion week mixed African-style fabrics with her beloved pin-up style.

Hoschek's designs aim to flatter the female form, and are refreshingly wearable. She is a fan of the traditional Austrian dirndl and includes her own take on it in many of her collections.

“The feminine hourglass shape is simply the ideal silhouette. It is reflected in the fashion of the 50s and in traditional regional Austrian wear,” she has said.

Whether Hoschek is designing an Austrian dirndl or the kind of exquisitely tailored 1940s-style frock that Katy Perry was photographed wearing, her creative process remains the same.

“The designs are all based on the fabrics - first fabric and colour are conceived and then we do the design.”

“I’m often asked why I don’t move to London, Paris or Milan,” she has said. “But there’s nowhere in the world where I could work as creatively as Austria. The country, the people, the food… Those are the perfect sources of energy for doing grand work.”

Hoschek got engaged in 2012 and was criticised in some of the Austrian media for going too public with the details - documenting all her wedding preparations on social media and her blog. “Some people enjoy silence - not me! Since I’m finally officially going to be a bride I’m finding it incredibly exciting,” she said.

She will marry Mario Frajuk, a car mechanic, in September in a ceremony at Graz’s Eggenberg castle. She is designing her own wedding invitations, using fabric, French lace and an old letterpress, as well as two dresses for the big day. She has said she plans to change into a dirndl dress in the evening for some “wild dancing”.

She has said that marriage, and starting a family will be a “huge step for her”, and one that she plans to take very seriously.

Hoschek also designs bespoke wedding dresses - for upwards of €3,000, and many of them are inspired by the dirndl. "I want to get people interested in old world craftsmanship again. One of the goals of my blog is to make traditional craftsmanship appeal to the masses again.”

She refers to herself as a "Stofftrüffelschwein" (fabric-truffle pig) and is constantly hunting for vintage fabrics and exquisite materials. All her clothes are made in small factories in Europe.

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